Big Stomp music festival promotes mental health awareness, resources in Louisville | News from WDRB

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A music festival in Louisville is breaking down mental health stigmas with modern programming, education and awareness.

The Big Stomp Music Festival was held on Friday and Saturday at Waterfront Park in downtown Louisville. The festival was created to destigmatize mental health and expand access to mental health resources. Organizers said it’s the nation’s first music festival to focus on mental health. 

The two-day festival featured more than 30 acts across three stages. Headliners for the festival include BADBADNOTGOOD, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, The Black Angels and Bully.

“Music is a unifying force in this world that can heal so much trauma that lies within our mental health,” said Israel McCullough, a festival attendee. “This is what we definitely need.”

The Big Stomp also offered equine and art therapy, meditation and more.

“It’s not something you get at a music festival, so everybody is having fun experiencing those,” said Molly Jones, Chief Operating Officer of the Big Stomp. “It’s so important because mental health and mental illness is not just one thing. It presents in many different ways and there are many different treatments for it.”

In its eighth year, the festival moved to Waterfront Park after it was previously held in eastern Jefferson County.

“Our hope was it would make the festival more accessible to everybody because to achieve our mission we need to be reaching more people,” Jones said. 

Festival attendees were appreciative of the move to a central location.

“Waterfront Park is sandwiched between several neighborhoods and zip codes where mental health issues are a huge concern,” McCullough said. “We need this badly in the urban core of Louisville.” 

Katie Ward, a functional movement and posture coach at Realigned Body, created programming for the Zen Den. It was designed to help people recharge and re-center themselves at the music festival.

Ward said the festival is important because allows people to talk about uncomfortable things in safe spaces.

“The energy that’s created here with the people who have such pure intentions promoting mental health awareness and stomping out the stigma,” Ward said. “This is a place where your most authentic self can shine.”

The festival hopes to start thoughtful conversations that lead to healthier mindsets.

“We only have a stigma because we don’t understand it and we are afraid of it,” Jones said.

The Big Stomp was previously known as “PeteFest” and established in 2017. The festival honors Louisville native Pete Jones, who took his own life in Dec. 2016. 

All proceeds from the music festival go toward the Pete Foundation. To learn more about the Pete Foundation, click here. 

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